Combined range finder and view finder



COMBINED RANGE FINDER AND VIEW FINDER Filed Sept. 2, 1956 INVENTOR T ORNEY Patented Mar. 21, 1939 COMBINED RANGE FINDER AND VIEW FINDER Ludwig Leitz, Wetzlar, Germany, assignor to Ernst Leitz, G. in. b. H., Wetzlar, Germany Application September 2, 1936, Serial No. 99,033

' Germany September 5, 1935 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in photographic apparatus of the kind which consists in a combination of a range finder and a terrestrial view finder arranged to form an integral g part of a photographic camera.

The object oi. the invention is to provide a generally improved device of this character distinguished by the feature that the range finder and the view finder have a common optical axis and in that the movable optical element of the range finder consists of a fixed and a movable lens having symmetrical cooperating curved surfaces arranged to form an adjustable optical wedge for bending the incoming light rays for range finding purposes. Such an optical body possesses the advantage that all the incoming light rays are refracted into the range finder whereas prior disclosures which utilize for instance, a dove prism for such purpose, reflect only a portion of the incoming light rays. An-

other object of the invention is to locate the said optical wedge in the optical axis of the view finder whereby a more simplified compact construction is obtained of particular advantage in small cameras.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic illustration of one embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. I is a plane view partly in section and Fig. 2 is a detail of Fig. 1 in another 80 position of adjustment. In the drawing the objective 2 of the camera I is provided with a gear I! which meshes with a pinion 3 for rotating a cam 4. The numeral 5 denotes a bell crank which is pivoted at 9 and which is oscillated on the pivot in a known manner as illustrated. The

bell crank carries a lens I having an outer curved surface which slides along a similar inner curved surface of a fixed lens 8. The two lenses 1 and 9 form together an optical body for bending the incoming light rays admitted through the openins at It.

The range finder comprises the fixed prism l6 and the fixed, partly transparent mirror 8. The terrestrial view finder consists of the lenses [0 and II with a mask I! for limiting the field of view. Two other prisms l3 and I4 serve to reverse the picture so that it appears right side up.

These two prisms are shown slightly in perspective for the sake of clearness.

The paths of the rays of light are indicated by the dotted lines. The lens l5 represents the exit pupil of the system.

When the objective is focussed, the cam 4 is rotated and oscillates the bell crank on the pivot 9. Hence the inner swingable lens I is displaced or moved with reference to the outer fixed lens 8. The incoming rays are therefore bent in passing through the two lenses.

When the picture seen through the view finder coincides with the reflected picture in the mirror 6, the range may be measured in a known manner by means oi a scale, not shown.

The optical observation axis of the system is represented by the dotted line AB. The construction and operation of the device will be fully understood by persons skilled in the art without any further description.

I claim:-

cluding a fixed negative lens and a movable positive lens with similar radii of curvature adapted to form an optical wedge for deflecting the incoming light ray through the said view finder opening, the basis range finder including a fixed prism for deflecting the incoming light ray through ,the range finder opening, a fixed semitransparent mirror in the optical axis of the view finder for combining the light rays through the said light admitting openings, a movable support for the said movable lens, said movable support being movable about a pivot in and perpendicular to the optical axis of the viewfinder and means engaging said movable support to move the same and the movable lens thereon when the camera objective is being focused.

LUDWIG LEI'I'Z. 

